The Kano State Police Command has refuted claims circulating online that a local journalist, Abdulaziz Aliyu, was detained at the Court Road Area Command in Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano, over a recent publication.
The Association of Kano Online Journalists (ASKOJ) had accused the police of illegally detaining Aliyu, a Kano-based online journalist, for over two hours on Tuesday over a publication.
ASKOJ, in a statement by its President, Yakubu Salisu, described the action as “intimidation and putting press freedom under siege.”
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But the police, in a statement by its spokesperson in Kano, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on Wednesday, said the allegation is a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and tarnish their reputation.
According to Kiyawa, Aliyu was not detained but was formally invited following a written complaint lodged against him as part of a routine investigative procedure.
He also said that after his initial appearance, the journalist was granted bail and asked to return on September 10 to assist with ongoing inquiries.
Kiyawa also said, “Further investigations by the Police revealed that neither Abdulaziz Aliyu nor Yakubu Salisu is a registered member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano State Chapter.
“The Command remains committed to upholding the rights of every individual and maintaining a cordial working relationship with journalists and media practitioners in the state,” the statement added.
